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Wednesday, 17 June 2015

Harrison Rose first block

A start to Harrison Rose ( Dawn's pattern ) - one block down. It's a large block at 17 inches square and I chose to construct it in solids and all needleturn applique, with back basting prep. The pattern helpfully gives a suggested order of placement for back basting. Of course, being so keen to start, I only noticed those instructions once I was half way through - haha. So my order of attack was different but it worked just fine. Nancy has put together her blocks here - so beautiful! Scroll down here for her alternative prep method. I say "whatever works for you" to get those points under control!

My Civil War Bride border is coming along - the two side vine borders went along quite quickly and I stitched them to the top.

Then to work on the top and bottom borders. This was a little more complex as it would include the ends where the vine turns the corner.

I wanted to have a bird on the vine in each corner but discovered that I am really useless at drawing vintage/naive looking birds! So I borrowed a bird from one of the blocks and with a few minor adjustments decided he would do.

Here are a couple of progress pics

Centre of bottom border

A bird at a corner

All in all I had a very productive Queen's Birthday long weekend on the quilting front - not that I am a monarchist but they clearly have their uses!

So I also managed to pin baste my Ann Randoll quilt top.

I'm planning on a narrow brown binding to finish the quilt along the saw tooth edge. That edge is quite fragile as all hand appliqued - very vulnerable to fraying and damage during the tug and pull of hand quilting in a hoop. I thought about trimming the layers and adding the binding right now and so protect that edge. But I have never before added binding before quilting, and am not confident how good a finish it will produce. Would the straightness of the edge be compromised? not sure and even more, not brave enough to try!

So my solution was to add a broad but purely temporary border strip. It serves two purposes while quilting - to protect the applique edge and to enclose the pesky fluff of the batting. I cut up strips of ugly or poor quality fabric that has been languishing in the cupboard. This I stitched into a broad, very crude casing along the outer edge. I used the largest basting stitch on my machine - easily removed after quilting is finished.

What would the Quilt Police think of my border attachment do you think? Actually it might win awards for making a statement perhaps? ...in fact I'm rather afraid it might!

Speaking of which..I'm really looking forward to visiting the Sydney Quilt Show this week - with the special Red and White display. The Quilters Guild of NSW is posting photos, and encouraging others to post pics, on Instagram so maybe the 'publishing' constraints of previous years are being relaxed...would be lovely to be able to share more of these.

...in fact a new post on their blog has just popped up with a lovely photo here - exciting!

29 comments:

A new exciting project to watch your progress with :0) Your points look perfect! I think your border additions are a great idea. Ann Randoll will be exquisite with handquilting. I tried pin basting but the pins drove me crazy with my hoop - I'm going to stick with thread basting for now but its really not my favorite activity... Your CWB side border is absolutely lovely - the bird turned out very well.

Love your first Harrison Rose block, is it all applique or is the center of the rose pieced? Your vine border for CWB is coming along beautifully, I'm so glad you've put in pears - aren't they just the best shape! Enjoy the Sydney show it's good to see they that they are recognising the benefits of sharing in the 21st century :) Your CWB would have been perfect for the red & white exhibition.

Hello Hilda !Your CWB is going to be a real masterpiece !! Wow...and I send to you a "good luck" for the quilting of your Ann Randoll...Are you going to quilt it by hand ?I wish you to spend lovely moments at Sydney !! I'm going to see it on Instagram !Hugs !

From the pics o have seen, your CWB would be right at home in the red and white exhibition. All your work is exquisite. You appliqué a mighty fine point! Good idea with your temporary border, but I don't think it will catch on.

Wow, I am so in love with your red and white CWB. Your collections of fabrics in the quilt is nothing short of spectacular. I really want to try a monochromatic appliqué quilt now! Great ideat for the temporary border before quilting

A lot of eye-candy in this blogpost! I love your first block for the Harrison Rose quilt. I also follow Nancy's Harrison Rose, which is turning out so wonderful as well. Really love Dawn's patterns and intend to do one myself one day. Your Ann Randoll, which is so beautiful already, will become even more stunning after handquilting (real good idea to add a temporary border; I often do so...). And the CWB is so interesting and wonderful in your choice of reds, and the border you added is lovely! Thanks for a very inspiring blogpost!

I love the Harrison Rose in solids. Your applique is so beautiful! The red and white CWB is coming along so beautifully. I love your bird in the border. Your edging solution to your Anne Randolph is very clever. Basting is the ONLY part of quilting I don't enjoy. I have come to the point where the only thing I baste it the edge. I leave about 4" all around the edge of the backing and bring it around to the front and baste. I quilt all my quilts (from 10" minis to 90" biggies) on my 14" wooden hoop. I find that if I start in the center and work my way to the edge I never have to baste. My friends think (know actually) I am crazy but it works for me. Thank you for sharing your inspiring work!

I'm always happy to see a new post from you because I know I'm going to see something spectacular. Your HRose block looks fantastic in the solids and your applique is perfect. I hope somebody does a red and white show again because your CWB would be a winner. You must be the fastest leaf appliquér. The vine border is so lovely. The "new borders" for AM quilt might cause the quilt police to raise an eyebrow or two. Hahaha or say, "How charming".

The border on your CWB is so perfect and I'm looking forward to seeing it all come together. The new Harrison Rose block made with cheddar is gorgeous. Will you use different cheddars in each block? The addition of the strips to protect the edges of the Ann Randoll quilt is a good one (I've done it myself in the past). But I agree that if you left it like that somewhere down the line the quilt would show up in a book and quilt makers would oooh and ahhhh over the creative striped border!

What a lovely post! Your pictures are all just wonderful and I love that you've shown the detail of your blocks. Your stitching is so perfect (I would love to have your skills!) I also love that you've shown how you pinned the top to the backing. Great information! Thank you so much for sharing!!!!

You are a very ambitious person and I never get tired of looking at your quilts. They are all just beautiful and you do wonderful work..I like the bird in the corner of your CWB quilt..and I love that red and white version of your quilt...

Every time I see the Ann Randall quilt I want to drop everything and learn to make clamshells. Which I WILL do one of these days because I remember that you had a link about it in one of your posts when you were working on the quilt :)

Hildy, each of your projects is a masterpiece. I so enjoy coming to visit your blog and seeing the wonderful eye candy. I have a question for you: when you cut your border strips to applique the dogtooth borders, were you concerned that they would still fit to the center section after the applique was done?

Hi Hilda,As always your work is perfection. I think your CWB is the most beautiful one of this pattern I have seen.You have really taken to hand quilting haven’t you? Hand quilting makes a quilt even more special and the border idea is a good one. Great points on Harrison Rose.

As you said whatever works re the border strips. A good idea! Rules are the same as always for pics at the show. Make sure to get permission from the maker before,posting on line. Are you on IG? I'm @patchworkfun if you're interested. The show is amazing. I'm demoing all day Friday if you're there.

I have done that to the edge of my Jane Stickle quilt and it worked perfectly. I think you are getting the look you want for the Harrison block. I love it. You did a great job on that applique border!!

Such a big job to pin down a large beauty like your Ann Randolph! She looks gorgeous even prepped with pins! I too just love your Harrison Rose. Your colors are so lovely for this block! And your Civil War Bride is really stunning!